NWS track for Irene superimposed over NOAA sea surface temperature data by DemFromCT. Click image for latest on Irene from the National Weather Service
Hurricane Irene reached Category 2 status yesterday and may see further intensification today. The current storm track profile is shown above super imposed on NOAA's latest sea surface temperature data. Irene is forecast to track over water in the 28° to 30° C range (84° to 86° F) all the way to North Carolina. A small deviation from the centerline to the north and east will bring Irene over the DC metro region in 28° to 29° C water, warm enough to sustain a major hurricane, Saturday to early Sunday.
The current track as of 7 AM EDT this morning showed Irene making landfall at the North Carolina-Virgina border as a powerful Category 3 storm and moving due north. The more dangerous northeastern portion of the eye wall tracks dead over some of the most populated parts of the Norfolk to DC region in this scenario. We'll be following the storm here all week, but residents in those threatened areas should now make emergency evacuation plans in the event the storm follows this path. Don't kid yourself, if you are in a low laying area, near a creek or river, in a mobile home or a traditional stick frame house, this system now poses a real risk to you.